Drawn to the Darkness
by Melinda-chan
Summary: Chapter Five uploaded! While on a trip back to Moscow, Kai stumbles onto a murder and then encounters a group of girls who introduces him to a new, more dangerous type of beyblading. Can Kai figure out how to master this game and solve the murder as well?
1. Adin

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Drawn to the Darkness by Melinda-chan

" … " indicates that someone is speaking in a foreign language (in this case Russian) but have been translated into English for the readers' benefit. This will also be used to translate a Russian word or phrase (in bold). All Russian words and phrases will be transliterated (spelled phonetically) into English as accurately as possible. Since Russian is based on a different form of writing than English, variations may occur. My basic Russian is pretty good, but if you notice any major mistake, please let me know. I'll be forever grateful.

Russian Translations:

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Pomogotie (Poh'moh'goh'tee)- Help!

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Da (Dah)- Yes

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Privet (Pree'vyet) Hello

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Kaya (Kah'yah) I'll explain this in the next chapter

This story is rated T (PG-13) for some violence and sexual references. For younger readers, reader discretion is advised.

Now that is over with, let this story begin!

It was old, smelly and dirty.

It was nice to be back in Moscow.

I walked past the Red Square. Even though Moscow is my home, I never really had a chance to explore it. I had only one thing in my mind: to find a place to stay and decide what I want to do with my life.

You see, I'm now eighteen years old.

Since now I'm an adult, I can go anywhere I want and do whatever I want. I know that Tyson still wants us to be friends, but I only considered him to be a beyblading rival at best. I felt more comfortable here where I was born and with the people that I grew up with. Not that I view Tala, Yuri and the others as my friends, but I do know them and that makes it more comfortable to me.

I wandered off to a nearby school. It was autumn, and the few trees nearby were shedding their leaves. I went underneath one, and unpacked my backpack. I searched for my notebook and pen. I flipped to the first blank page. This is what I wrote:

October 7, 2005

I finally made it to Moscow. I'm now planning my next move. I don't know where I will be going next. I have to ask someone for a really good place to stay for the moment. But first I need to find a good place to eat.

I then put my notebook and pen back into my backpack. It was when I tried to get up that I noticed something in the leaves.

It was a human hand.

I don't think I could describe how I felt at the moment. Absolute horror would be the most accurate description. I wished it was a mannequin, but even in Russia no storekeeper would dump a mannequin under a pile of leaves near a school.

I had to find out what it really was.

I moved it with my right foot.

I was right- it belonged to a real body.

'Damn!' I thought. It was not only a body but that of a teenage boy. He had tears over his clothes and bruises all over his face and arms. I could only guess what happened to him.

From past experiences, I knew that either this kid was killed by a rival gang or that he got in trouble with his own gang. As a former gang leader, I admit that I had to keep my gang members in line from time to time but I never had to KILL someone.

That alone was enough for me to want to get away from this place. I do not want to get involved with any gang rivalry around here. But a few things held me back. First, someone is bound to find the body, and considering it's close to a school, I can only imagine what a five-year old might think if he or she found it first. Second, a member of his family or a real friend might be searching for him, and third, I don't think whatever he did would deserve execution and having his body dumped like garbage.

Besides, I didn't see what happened so I couldn't be called a witness.

In any event, I had to get help.

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"Pomogotie!" I yelled as I ran back to the Red Square. **"Pomogotie!"**

I then saw one of the milistia- a policeman. He was obviously on patrol, looking out for any sign of trouble nearby. My yelling caught his attention.

" You got a problem? " the policeman said. I felt a little unnerved by his cold stare, but I quickly regained my composure.

" A body- I found a body! " I said out loud. At once I felt hundreds of eyes at me. The policeman immediately paled.

" Where did you saw this body? " he inquired, keeping his voice low so as not to attract further attention.

" I found him under a bunch of leaves under a tree by a school, " I told him.

" You said that you saw a body near a school? " he asked me.

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"Da," I said. " The body is under a bunch of leaves near a school. "

" What does the body look like? " the policeman asked me.

" He has brown hair, wears a blue shirt with a black jacket and, uh, has bruises and cuts all over his body, " I said.

" How old is he? " the policeman asked me. I noticed his change from mild interest to high interest when I mentioned the last part.

" He's around thirteen or so, " I told him. He now took out a notepad and pen. " I can show you where I found him. "

" Lead me to the body, " he told me. " I need to check on this. " So I did.

I hoped that the body was still there when we came there, and sure enough, the policeman's face turned white when I removed some of the leaves to expose the body. He then uttered a word I rather not translate.

" Another victim of that stupid game, " I heard him mutter.

" What game? " I asked.

" They call it 'Target Beyblading,' it's a new game, " the policeman told me.

" Target Beyblading? " I asked.

" It's a type of beyblading in which the opponents try to knock each other's beyblades using their own bodies, " the policeman said. I raised my right eyebrow. That was a new concept I've never heard before. He then took out his walkie-talkie.

I watched as an ambulance came and took the body away. A group of policemen were talking to each other. I was still in a state of shock. I decided to go to the school and think. I leaned against the gate.

'What can I do now?' I thought. 'Did that kid die from a beyblading game? If so, there might be gangs that are using beyblades as weapons! I heard such gangs exist, but I didn't think there were any around here! This 'Target Beyblading' sounds like it can get really serious. If only I could-'

I was suddenly interrupted by a whizzing beyblade. I fell to the ground in order to dodge it. The beyblade struck the gate behind me and then went back to where it came from. I looked up.

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"Privet Kaya," a voice said. " I see that you _are_ him ."

I got up. There was no doubt about the voice. It was a girl's.

End of Chapter One

So what do you think of the first chapter? I hoped you enjoyed it. Beyblade was created by Takao Aoki. Please don't forget to review!


	2. Dva

**Chapter Two of "Drawn to the Darkness" by Melinda-chan**

Russian Words and Phrases:

Shto?- What? (Sh-to)

Spasibo- Thank You (Spah-see-boh)

Nyet- No (Nyeht)

Da- Yes (Dah)

Privet- Hello (as in an introduction) (Pree-vyet)

Spakoinai nochi- Good night (Spah-koi-nigh no-chee)

Other Words and Phrases:

Oishii!- Delicious! (Oi-shee-ee) Often used alone as a positive expression after eating something good in Japanese.

Now that is over with, let this chapter begin!

I couldn't believe it.

The girl had brown hair and blue eyes, but most noticeably, a long-sleeved coat with the word light- "svyet"- in Russian. She then leaped from the railing and landed on the ground in front of me. She looked so serious yet so serene. I watched her from where I sat.

" Who are you? " I asked.

" I am Elena Mikhailovna Mogilny, " the girl said. " I am the captain of Team Light because we are the light of the world of beyblading in this area. " I must have looked puzzled, because she then came forward and spoke again.

" You are Kai Hiyatari, right? " Elena asked me.

"Da," I said. " My last name is pronounced 'Hi-WA-ta-ri, though. "

"Kaya!" Elena said. She then smiled at me. " I think I'll like that. "

" What are you talking about? " I said. " Did you saw what happened? "

" You mean the police? " Elena said. " Do you really want to know? " I had to think. Did I really want to get involved?

Just then I saw five girls walking behind her. They were all wearing the same uniform as she did. She smiled when she saw them.

" You finally caught up with me? " Elena said. I could tell her teammates were trying to catch their breaths.

" Is this our new recruit? " a girl with glasses said.

" Maybe. This is Kaya, " Elena said.

"Kai," I corrected. Was I pronouncing it the same way as I always did?

"Oh…" I heard another girl say.

" Kaya, these girls are my teammates, " Elena said. " Go in position, girls! " I then saw all of the girls stand side-by-side as if on cue.

"Anna Vladmirovna Stepanova!" the girl with the glasses said.

"Olga Ivanovna Marinina," the second girl said.

"Irina Vasilyevna Vysokova," the third girl said.

"Natalya Dimitryevna Abramova," the fourth girl said.

"Tatyana Yevgenyevna Ivanova," the fifth girl said.

" There are other girls too, " Elena said. " But this is my main group. " I didn't respond. Why did they feel like introducing to me like that?

I then saw them smile at each other and giggled. The next thing I knew I saw them go to me and two of them, Irina and Natalya, put their arms around my own.

" What are you doing? " I questioned.

" You're going to Elena's place, " Tatyana said.

" But I didn't- " I started to say. However, I should have realized that resisting them would be futile.

" Let's go! " Elena said. So the two girls carried me off to a nearby apartment building. I didn't resist, as I allowed my captors to take me inside it.

I was then taken into the elevator and up four floors (I think). Irina and Tatyana then accosted me to the door. Elena then knocked on the door. I held my breath as the door opened.

The brown-haired woman looked to be a housewife- she had an apron on- and as she looked down at me, she became very surprised.

" Mama, this is Kaya Hiyatari, " Elena said.

"Kai Hiwatari," I corrected. I hated doing this.

" Mama, may he stay over? He really needs a place to stay and I'm sure that you can feed one more tonight? " Elena asked her mother. I held my breath again. I knew that I'll one day have to pay a price, but a free homemade meal did sound good.

"Da! Da!" Elena's mother said. She then dragged me inside the apartment. (Yes, I meant Elena's mother).

I was not surprised at the size of the place- it wasn't as small as that of a Japanese apartment- but it was so very plain.

" Take your shoes off, Kaya " Elena told me. I sighed. I was taken here against my will, but I had to admit that I was in a home and I didn't have to pay for it either.

Though I did wonder if there were any prices I'll eventually have to pay. It seems too much for it to be all free.

" I'll show you to your bedroom now, " Elena said. So I followed her to the room.

" Kaya, this is where Ivan sleeps, " Elena said. " And this is where you'll sleep too. "

I looked all around the bedroom. I could see a bunk bed with a younger boy on top.

" Ivan, this is my newest recruit, " Elena said.

"Shto!" I said. Since when did I become a member of her team?

" Who's he? " her brother asked indifferently.

" His name is Kaya Hiyatari, " Elena said. I prevented myself from rolling my eyes. " But you can call him Kaya. "

"Hiwatari," I said. I hate doing this!

" Whatever " Ivan said. He then turned his head back toward us. I was somewhat relieved about this- I preferred not talking to him right now.

As for Elena…

" Why are you doing this for? " I asked accusingly.

" I know that you don't beyblade our way, " Elena said. " But this is a new sport, and I thought that you will want to learn it. "

" What makes you believe that? " I questioned.

" Because you got what it takes to do it, " Elena said. I said nothing in reply. " Anyway, I told Mama that you're staying with us. You'll be staying in Ivan and Pyotr's room so she doesn't mind. "

" Where's Pyotr? " I asked.

" He- " Elena started to say. I then saw her hesitate. " He ran away to join a street gang. "

" Oh, I'm sorry, " I said. " I wouldn't think your family would have to deal with that sort of thing. "

" He ran away because he wanted to join a beyblading street gang " Ivan said from his bed.

" A beyblading street gang? " I inquired. They have them in Russia too?

"Da," Elena said. " I don't know the name of the street gang, so we can't trace him, but we do know that he ran away to join one. "

I felt really divided. Should I get involved or not? A new type of beyblading sport might just be the thing to get me out of the doldrums I was under. Then again, this could get very dangerous. I remembered that boy's body. I tried, but I just couldn't get that his image out of my mind. Something horrible happened to him, I knew it. Still, I couldn't allow such misuse of beyblading get out of control. I didn't know whether my conscience (I had a conscience back then?) was being stirred up, but I felt I couldn't let it go. I then felt Elena's hand on my right shoulder.

" It doesn't really matter now. I bet Mama has some food waiting for us! " Elena said. She then smiled. " She loves company and I know that she will have good food for all of us! Let's go "

I was so glad that I didn't doubt her.

"Mama" did have some good food for all of us- a nice bowl of beet soup, a hot dish of chicken in butter sauce, potatoes and cabbage on the side, a cup of tea and plenty of sour cream and milk for everything. I have to admit, it has been such a long time since I had a meal like this, at least in Russia.

" Kaya, how do you like the food? " Anna asked me.

"Oishii! I mean delicious! Spasibo!" I said. "Mama" smiled at me in return.

" So, Anna, did the police find what happened to your cousin Timofei? " Tatyana asked her.

"Nyet," Anna said, shaking her head. I was about to eat a piece of potato when I realized what they were talking about. I then stood up.

" What does Timofei look like? " I asked her out loud. My sudden outburst must have caught some of the girls off-guard since I saw them look back at me surprised.

" He-he had brown hair and blue eyes like I do, " Anna said, a bit slowly at first. I nodded.

" What did he wear? I want to know! " I said. I must have seemed mad to her, but Anna did reply.

" He usually wears a black jacket, you know, street gang stuff, " she told me. " Did you see him somewhere? " I was about to open my mouth, and possibly ruin her supper in the process, when I heard the door open.

"Papa?" I heard Elena say. She then got up and went to the door. I sat down and kept on eating, not wanting to be seen as rude.

"Moy angel!" I heard a man say. Mikhail, her father, then laughed. I felt my cheeks go red, though I didn't know why at that time.

" Mama, Papa's home! " Elena yelled.

" Papa smell food! Did Mama make supper already? " Mikhail asked her.

"Da!" Elena said.

" Mama heard that! " Mama said. She then got up and went to the door, where Elena and Mikhail were.

"Privet, Mama! How was your day? " Mikhail said. There was then an exchange of words between husband, wife and daughter. Ivan was still at the table eating.

" Papa, this is Kaya! " Elena said, running back to the table. I took this as my cue to get out of my chair and go to them.

" Kaya, this is Papa! " Elena said. I saw a tall, brown-haired man with glasses standing there. I felt very nervous now.

"Privet, ah, Papa," I said. He looked confused.

" It's Mikhail, not Papa, " he told me. " Or you can call me Mr. Mogilny. "

"Da," I said. He then looked down at his daughter.

" Elena, I thought you said that boys and girls play in separate teams, " Mikhail said.

" There is nothing to prevent me from teaching him about Goose Beyblading, " Elena told him.

" I guess not, " Mikhail said. He then looked at me again. " You should stay in Ivan's bedroom until you can leave. "

"Ah, spasibo!" I said, not knowing what else to say. He then smiled. I felt better when he did that.

" Mama, Papa is hungry! " Mikhail said. He then dropped his briefcase. I noticed that it had a logo of a sports club on it.

" Papa can come to the table," Mama said. "Mama cooked a lot of food since Elena told Mama that she invited some of her friends over. " She then looked down at me. "Of course, Mama didn't know she was bringing a boy. " I felt like I was blushing again.

So I spent my first night back in Moscow with this hospitable and for the most part, happy Russian family. Ivan brought out a chess set and I taught a thing or two about chess.

" Now that it is eleven, you three should go to bed, " Mikhail said. " Elena, what are you planning to do with the boy tomorrow? " I noticed that he still didn't mention me by name.

" I hope to train him for our beyblading sport, and then to get him into a few competitions, " Elena said.

'I didn't say I wanted to join you!' I thought but I didn't say it out loud since I was practically ignored right now. Mikhail then turned to me.

" Why don't you go sleep in Ivan's bedroom now, Kai? " Mikhail said. It took me a few seconds before I realized that he was talking to me.

"Oh, da!" I said. So I was sent back to Ivan's bedroom.

" Since you are bigger than Ivan, you'll sleep in the bottom, " Elena said. I placed my backpack at the edge of the bed. " My team will be training at 10 o'clock, so be sure to get up by nine. "

"Da," I said. I then looked at Ivan. He looked as apathetic as ever. I then looked back at Elena. " You know, your older brother, Pyotr, is an idiot. "

" I know " Elena said. "Spakionai nochi Kaya. Spakoinai nochi Ivan."

"Spakoinai nochi Elena," we both said. Elena then shut the door.

" What are you trying to prove there? " Ivan asked me.

" Pyotr is an idiot, " I said. " Your family is something that I always wanted. I can't think of any reason why I would want to leave a family like that. "

" You left your teammates a few times, I heard " Ivan said. I looked very surprised.

" How do you know that? " I questioned. " I didn't think you were interested in beyblading. "

" I'm not, " Ivan said. " But that doesn't mean I don't know anything about beyblading. " He then paused. " How do you know about chess? "

" Grandfather taught me how to play it, " I said. " It wasn't just for leisure purposes. He thought if I could master at least the strategic part of it, it would boost my beyblading strategic skills. I'm not sure if it worked or not, but learning chess is tough. " I then recalled myself as a little boy playing chess with him. It wasn't exactly a happy time- I don't think there was a happy time with Grandfather.

" Is something the matter? " Ivan asked. I then shook my head.

"Nyet" I said. "Spakoinai nochi Ivan."

"Da," Ivan said. "Spakoinai nochi Kai."

We then went to our proper bunk beds. I didn't want to dream of anything, so I kept my mind blank until I did went to sleep.

End of Chapter Two

This was a doozy to write, as I kept missing the first page. At least it's done now. Beyblade was created by Takao Aoki. Russian words and phrases are from the Berlitz European Phrase Book. Please don't forget to review!


	3. Tri

**Chapter Three of "Drawn to the Darkness" by Melinda-chan**

Russian Words and Phrases Used Here:

Dobranyi ootro (do-bran-yee oo-tro)- Good morning

Kadga (kag-da)- Time? (I suppose you can use it as a question too)

Zatzpat (zatz- pat)- Breakfast (Mama was planning to say that when she saw Kai)

Chitirye (chee-tir-yeh)- Four

Kto tam?- (kto tam)- Who is it?

Ivan (ee-vahn)- While "Ivan" in English is pronounced eye-vahn, this is the true Russian pronunciation.

"Dobranyi ootro, Kaya!" Elena's voice tore me from my sleep. I then saw her looking down at me (I was on the bottom bunk of the bed). I got up and then realized that I was still in my clothes that I wore last night.

"Kagda?" I questioned.

" It's about nine o'clock, " Elena said. " You should get something to eat before we take off. I just hope that Anya will be able to come. "

"Anya?" I asked.

" I mean Anna! " Elena said. She then went to the door. " Anyway, you should get dressed in new clothes before you go out. There should be something in the closet that should fit you. " At that, she left. I then realized why she always called me Kaya.

In a country in which millions of people could have the same first name, pet names have been created. Hence, an Alexander can be called a Sasha or a Tatyana a Tanya. And it doesn't have to be short- a Natalya can be called a Natasha or an Anna an Anya. I hate to admit it, but 'Kaya' was probably the closest Russian equivalent of a pet name for my authentic Japanese name.

I then opened the closet door. I was taken aback- though I shouldn't be too surprised- about the type of gear in Pyotr's section.

I had to sort through everything before I could finally decide what to wear, but I finally made my choice. I then put on a white shirt, a black jacket with keys on them, a ripped-up pair of jeans and spiked knuckles. After checking myself on the mirror, I then put on a pair of sunglasses atop of my head. I then went out of the room, wondering what reaction I'll get when I finally get seen.

I didn't have to wait for long.

"Zatz-ah!" Mama said when she finally looked at me. "ELENA!" she then yelled.

" What is it, Mama? " Elena said. She then looked at me and put her hands over her mouth as if trying not to laugh.

Mama, however, wasn't amused at the least.

" Elena, what on earth is he wearing? " Mama asked her. Ivan then came over.

" Wow! You got Pyotr's stuff on! " Ivan said. " Looking good! "

" No offense, Kaya, but you're way overdressed, " Elena said.

" I suppose I am, " I said, looking over myself. " Do I need to put on some sweat pants? "

" Just some light stuff " Elena told me. " But I wouldn't call that light. "

" You got his special jacket, " Ivan said. " You better be careful or someone from his gang might spot you and beat you up. "

" I thought you said that you didn't know where he is, " I said.

" We don't Ivan said. In the end, I had to go back to the room and changed into more casual clothes. I still kept the sunglasses and spiked knuckles. Nobody said a word about that at the table.

" So Vanya, I- " I started to say when he put his right hand on the table.

" Don't call me that if you don't want to go to hell! " Ivan said with fire in his eyes.

"O.K…." I said. He then folded his arms.

" Ivan is an old man's name…why was I called Ivan anyway? " he said out loud.

" What do you mean by that? " Mama said. " When you were born, 'Ivan' was a good name. It still is. "

" And it's not an old man's name! " Elena said. " Ivan Malkov is just a few years older than you! " (Note: Ivan Malkov is a young hockey star in the Russian Super League. He also played in the world championships and more recently, the Turin Olympics).

" Well, Vanya is! " Ivan said. I then looked down at my breakfast.

For the traditional supper I had yesterday, I was surprised that the breakfast would be so…modern. There were bowls of cereal with milk and cups of tea and milk and cream. But there was nothing else beside that.

Everything seemed to calm down so I ate my breakfast. It was a weekend day, so I knew that there would be no school. I wondered what would happen that day.

I didn't have to wonder for long.

" A playground? " I asked.

"Nyet," Elena said. " Our place is beside it. " She then pointed to an empty lot.

" I see " I said. So Elena, the rest of the girls (the ones I saw the day before) and I went over the boards.

The lot had a sign that said "Target Beyblading Training Grounds" in Russian and a few beyblades were on the ground. Elena picked them up.

" Before we begin, did you ever had to dodge beyblades in the past? " Elena inquired.

"Da," I responded. " I mean, it does happen a lot in beyblading. " I then thought of something. " Wait a minute! Is that why you tried to hit me? So you can see that I can dodge it? "

" That's the whole point of Target Beyblading, " Elena said, putting a beyblade into her beyblade launcher.

" But that's dangerous! I mean, why would anyone get involved in a game that involves getting hit by a fast-flying object? " I said.

" So what? Hockey goalies do it all the time, " Olga, the curly blonde-haired girl, pointed out.

" They have protection! " I said.

" So do we, " Elena said. " Kaya, catch! " I did, and I saw that she handed me a pair of shoulder pads, knee pads, goggles and a helmet.

" What is this? " I asked.

" What do you mean 'what is this? " Elena said. " It's our safety equipment of course! "

" I know that! " I said. " But why do you need all this equipment for? "

" Because we need it for our sport, " Elena said. " You played dodgeball when you were a kid, right? "

" I'm not sure… " I said, trying to remember.

" You know, the sport in which you had to dodge balls thrown by other people? " Elena said. " Well, Target Beyblading is like that, except you have to dodge beyblades and if you are in an Opponent or Team format, you have to hit them with your own beyblade too, or make their beyblades stop before they can do the same on yours. "

" You mean- " I started to say when Elena pointed at a sign that was nailed at the other side of the lot.

" The purpose of Target Beyblading, or Goose Beyblading as it's sometimes called, " Elena explained. " is to prevent the opponent's beyblade from hitting you or the goose, before they can stop you from hitting them. As well, if your beyblade stops for any reason before your opponent does, you'll also be out. "

" I see " I lied. Actually, I was getting a little confused.

" See that board over there? " Elena said. " That'll explain it a bit more. " I then read the piece of cardboard on the wall.

This is what it said:

All players must wear safety equipment. NO EXCEPTIONS.

Beyblades must be approved by the officiant. Any beyblade not approved will not be used. (This doesn't include practice).

The first person to get hit by an opposing beyblade is the "goose" and therefore out. If the person's beyblade is stopped for any reason, that person is also out. If two people are competing, and they are simultaneously hit or have their beyblades stopped at the same time, it's a draw and play will resume.

No hitting will be done at the head, the hands or the feet. No target should be aimed at above the shoulder or the knees. Anyone that does this will be disqualified and may be barred from the lot for an indefinite period of time, depending on the severity of the offense.

The officiant has the final say in any decision made during the game. Any protest must be backed by more than one person. No officiant can officiate more than three straight games, and more than one officiant must be present during actual games.

" Where do the officiants go? " I asked. Maria pointed up at the upper wall. I could see a sign that says "Officiants" in Russian.

" That is where the officiants sit, " Maria said.

" You mean just like that? " I said. I knew that a beyblade going out the lot would be disqualified, but one can still hit someone. They do hurt, and can even be lethal depending on the speed and where it hits on a person.

" You don't have to worry about that for now " Elena said. " Just get dressed and we'll start training. "

"Shto?" I said. They expect me to get dressed in front of them, a bunch of girls?

" I said, get dressed, not get naked! " Elena said. She then pointed to a corner. " Now get dressed or is there something that you're hiding from us? "

"Nyet…" I said. " Oh fine! I'll get dressed! " I then went to the corner and took off my jacket. I then put on my pads, goggles and helmet. With all the extra weight on me, I felt like a slightly underdressed hockey player, I looked back and saw that all the girls were dressed as well.

" You guys put on your clothes when I wasn't… " I didn't bother to finish the rest of the sentence.

" You're eighteen, not eight! " Elena said. " Now make sure that your safety equipment is put on correctly or it wouldn't work when you need it to. " I checked my helmet and pads.

" They're alright then " Elena said. She then turned to Anna. " Anya, will you do the honour? "

I then got a very bad feeling about this.

"Da Elena!" she said. I then saw her load her beyblade launcher. "Kaya?" I looked up at her. I then saw her point her launcher at me. " Kaya, dodge this! " She then shot her beyblade at me!

" Hey! " I shouted as I dodged the beyblade. " What did you do that for-? " I didn't realize that the beyblade had ricochet off the other side of the lot until it hit me at the back of my helmet. I then fell down unconscious.

I must've not been out for very long since when I woke up, I saw the girls still looking down at me in great concern.

" Are you okay, Kaya? " Irina questioned.

" How many fingers am I holding? " Elena asked me. I looked up at her four fingers.

"Chitirye," I answered.

" Oh cool! He's okay! " Irina responded.

" Are you feeling well now? " Olga asked. " Those things can really be dangerous at high speed! "

"Da," I replied, feeling a bit foolish. " I guess I need more practice, right? " They all nodded. I then got up and brushed myself off.

" Perhaps it would've been better if we showed him how it's done? " Maria questioned.

"Da!" Elena said. " Maria, place yourself in position! Try to dodge the beyblade! " At that, Maria put herself a little way off from Elena. " Everyone, get out of the way! " All the girls then did. I followed them to a corner.

" Is she trying to do the same thing? " I asked Anna.

" This is the way we do it " Anna said. I then saw as Elena launched her beyblade, Maria dodged it and then went to her left as she dodged the ricochet. I watched in marvel as she then looked at the flying beyblade and put up her right shoulder. She then hit the beyblade, which caused it to spin awkwardly in the air. I then saw the beyblade crash onto the ground upside down.

" NOW that's how it's supposed to be played! " Anna said. I had to admit that I was impressed. I then thought of something.

" What of the Bit Beasts? " I questioned.

" Oh that's most amazing! " Anna said. " If a person has a Bit Beast, then it gets more exciting! "

" A person with a Bit Beast can make their beyblade go even faster, enabling them to end the game more quickly, " Maria said. " Of course, assuming that the person is able to control the Bit Beast. If not, then it could disastrous and not just for the game. "

" Why don't you practice some more? " Elena asked, looking directly at me. Why not?

A few hours later, I was as stiff as cardboard.

" I thought you knew how to dodge beyblades! " Elena said. " I mean, you did dodge at least a few during your beyblading career, right? "

"Da," I said. I was so bad that we had to take a makeshift taxi (which aren't uncommon in Moscow) to get us home. I struggled just to walk the hallway to Elena's apartment.

" Mama should have supper on by now, " Elena said. Just the memory of last night's supper gave me the strength to walk some more. Maria knocked on the door.

Supper was, of course, just as good as last time.

The girls (did they always stay for supper, I wondered) placed themselves at the table while Mama gave all of us cabbage rolls, sour cream (lots of it!), cooked potatoes, pickled beets, bread, butter and of course tea. I ate this all up until Mikhail appeared.

" Papa, did you hear that they found Anya's cousin Timofei's body? " Elena asked when he sat down at the table. I had to stop eating.

" I heard it on the news from work " Mikhail replied. "It's the fifth body they found this week that was like that, right? "

" I thought there were only four bodies found so far " Irina said. I couldn't take it anymore.

" I suppose so… " Mikhail started to say when I got up and started to go to the bathroom.


	4. Chyetirye

**Chapter Four of "Drawn to the Darkness" by Melinda-chan**

Russian Words and Phrases:

Da- Yes

Mnye- "I" or "me"

Nyet- No

Da vstrychi- See you later

I woke up the next day to an empty apartment.

It was Sunday, so I just went out of the bedroom and headed for the kitchen. There were nobody there too- I figured that they must have all went out without me. By the clock, I could tell it was after eleven. There was no note anywhere- either they were only out for a short while, or they didn't think I would care.

Not knowing how long they'll be out, I opened the fridge. For a family that was used to feeding a lot of people, the fridge was pretty sparse. There was a carton of milk, a loaf of bread (dark bread of course) and a few vegetables in the vegetable bin.

'I guess I'll have cereal,' I thought. I then took out the milk and cereal and prepared my breakfast. At least I could think about what happened in the couple of days I've been here.

A couple of days ago, I went back to Moscow, my hometown, not knowing why I wanted to come here after so many unpleasant memories of this place. After walking a while, I found Timofei's body near a school, which was a bit unsettling to say the least. I then found a policeman, who told me that a dangerous type of beyblading was being played and apparently the dead guy was a victim of it. I had to think for a moment, so I went to the schoolyard, and that's when Elena found me and "recruited" me to her team. I still don't know why I allowed a bunch of girls to kidnap me, but at least I have food and a bed now.

It was a quarter after noon when I heard the door open. A well-dressed family came inside as I went out of the kitchen to see them. Mikhail had a bag with him.

" Did you go shopping? " I asked.

" No. We went to church, " Mikhail replied. I was taken aback.

" What church? " I asked, hoping not to sound offensive.

" We can go to different churches, " Elena said. That made me a bit inquisitive.

" You go to different churches? " I asked.

"Da," Elena answered. I guess I really didn't know them after all.

" So how long did you go out for? " I asked.

" Two hours, I think, " Elena said. " How long have you been up? "

" Half an hour, I think " I replied.

" You slept all morning? " Elena said. " You must've been exhausted from the day before! "

" Of course I am! " I said. I then looked at her. " Do you have any plans for today? " She smiled at me. My spirits sank like a rock.

To make a long story short, after they got re-dressed, we all went out for lunch at a fast-food restaurant that I'm sure everyone knows. Since I was born during the glasnost ("openness") period of the 1980s, I wasn't surprised to see many foreign businesses in Moscow, but to see a place that was everywhere in Japan be everywhere here too was a bit of an eye-opener.

I found myself back at the wooden lot for the afternoon.

" Sunday training is usually warm-ups and a little practice, " Elena explained to me. " But since we have a new member, we will have to teach you how we do our warm-ups. " She then took out a pair of weights from her bag. " Put these on your feet. " I did as she said.

" Now jump up! " Elena commanded. I tried to do so, but I felt my feet almost breaking underneath me as I did.

" What happened? " I asked. It was more to myself than to her, but she answered anyway.

" The weight on your feet is one kilogram each, " Elena said. " In the day before a big match, we have exercise sessions like this to prepare us for it. "

" So when is your next big match? " I questioned.

" Next Sunday at the Beyblade Centre, " Elena answered.

" Beyblade Centre? " I asked. I never heard of the name before.

" It was built by a bunch of beyblade competitors who wanted a place to stage matches for themselves, " Elena told me. " But now it's used by Target Beybladers all over the city for their own matches. If you got a team, you can compete. "

" A place for Target Beyblading competitions? " I said. " I didn't know it was that popular. "

" It's still not recognized by the BBA, " Elena said, looking a little miffed. " That's why we need someone like you to get into it, even if nobody knows it at first. " I then saw the girls put their hands in front of their mouths, as if trying not to laugh. I ignored them.

" But you still need to move faster, " Elena continued. " I know that you have flexibility- we've seen some of your matches- but you need to train harder. Your body needs to be stronger or you'll never reach your maximum speed. "

" How do you train for that? " I asked.

" Most of us took gymnastics, " Elena replied.

'I should've known' I thought. I then looked at her physique. I didn't realize how well-built she was until now. The other girls also were well-built but thin as well, which no doubt is an asset when they had to move really quickly.

I then knew that there was no way I'll be ready by next Sunday.

" How long will I have to train? " I asked.

" If you're committed to training every day, then you should be ready in a few weeks, " Elena replied. " But that doesn't mean you can't be part of our team right now. "

"Oh?" I said. I then saw that some of the girls smiling mischievously. " How so? "

" You can be our water boy! " Elena said.

" Water boy? " I said in disbelief.

"Da," Elena answered. " It would be your job to watch our water so that no one steals it or drugs it. " I blinked.

" That can happen? " I asked.

" Not as much as the boys, but yeah it does happen sometimes, " Elena said. " Drugging the water is a more common problem, because you need to be alert all the time. We also have to be careful not to drink too much water because it can slow us down too. That's why a guard is so important during games. "

" I can't believe that people would do that! " I exclaimed. I never recalled anyone doing that during a beyblade match, at least not the ones that I took part in.

" It's a bit different for Target Beyblading " Elena said. " As you should know by now, Target Beyblading is pretty intense, and we need water to keep us going. "

" So will I be allowed to do this? " I asked.

" I don't see why not, " Elena said. " I know that you aren't ready for any real competition. "

" I see, " I said. Just then I saw a few girls come up the wall. " Who are they? "

" That's Alexandra Timonova's team! " Elena groaned. She then glared at them. " What do YOU want? " I sensed some bad blood between them, so I did nothing.

"Elena Mogilny," a red-haired girl said. She then dropped down to the ground right in front of her. So did the other girls. " I knew that every team has a few secrets, but recruiting a boy is pretty low even for you. "

"Mnye?" I said, feeling a little taken aback.

" He's only here because he wants to learn about Target Beyblading, " Elena said. She then narrowed her eyes. "The right way. "

" Well, if he wants to do it the right way, then he should come with us " the girl said. She then grabbed my left arm. That caused a whole series of reactions.

" Let Kaya go! " I heard Elena say. I then felt a bunch of hands at me.

" Who said that you can have him? " I then heard Tatyana's voice.

" You think that you can get anyone you want? " I then heard Olga's voice. I've had enough of this.

" STOP IT! " I yelled. I then pushed everyone away. They must've been surprised by my response, but I had to give myself some space.

" Nobody owns me, you got it? " I said. I then glared at the girl who tried to take me away. " Who are you anyway? "

" I'm Alexandra Timonova, " she replied.

" I see, " I said. " So you want me to join your team? "

" Don't be stupid! " Alexandra replied. " You're a boy! I can't get you to join my team even if I wanted to! "

'Boys can't join teams with girls?' I thought. 'Then why is Elena training me for?'

" Are you here just to look at him or did you came here for something else? " Elena asked. Her voice was dripping with acid. I saw Alexandra cock her head as if thinking.

"Nyet" Alexandra said. She then looked at me. " What's your name? "

"Kai" I answered. "Kai Hiwatari." She then smirked.

" I see " Alexandra said. She then laughed. "Da vstrychi!" At that, she and her team then went back up the wall. Elena clenched her fist.

" I'll get her! You just wait and see! " Elena yelled out.

" What's with those two? " I asked Olga.

" Oh them! " She said. " You see, Elena and Alexandra have been rivals since they took up Target Beyblading a year ago. The only girl better than them is Viktoria Alekhina, who took up Target Beyblading before we all did. " I didn't say anything to that, but I wondered what this other girl would be like.

" Are we going to practice today, Elena? " Tatyana asked her. I could tell she was still angry.

" We're going! " Elena said. She then turned to us. " But remember that we have that tournament to win next Sunday, so we'll train even harder, got it? "

"DA!!!" All the girls said in unison, saluting her. I then realized that I had to do it too.

"Da!" I said, saluting as well. Elena then looked funny at me.

" I didn't mean you too, " Elena said. " You're just our water boy. "

" I know that, " I said, feeling a bit red all of a sudden.

As we went back home in a makeshift taxi, I was thinking about what happened today. First, that if the girls were this competitive, then the boys must be fierce. I thought about Timofei again. Maybe he died because he lost an important match. That would still be extreme- I would've kicked him out of the team for sure, like I did to Carlos- but maybe in Russia the stakes are higher. However, I knew that I really wouldn't know the truth until I was ready to infiltrate the boys' groups.

And second, what was my reputation in Russia really like? When I told Alexandra my name, she just smirked and acted like it was nothing. I had done some things that weren't noble, I admit, but was my reputation that bad? I was thinking that they boys might not be so easily fooled after all.

Either way, it was going to be the start of an interesting week.

End of Chapter Four

I'm sorry if things were confusing last chapter as to Kai's plan. I hope that it'll make more sense once I get it started. Beyblade was created by Takao Aoki. Don't forget to review!


	5. Pyat

****

Chapter Five of "Drawn to the Darkness" by Melinda-chan

Russian Words and Phrases:

Nyet- No

Dobrayi ootro Kai- Good morning Kai

Shto?- What?

Prastitiyi! (prahs-TEE-tyee)- Excuse me!

Gdye Gaspadeen Mogilny? (gdyeh gah-spah-DEEN mo-gil-nee?)- Where is Mr. Mogilny? (literally, "Where Mr. Mogilny?"- there's no "is" or "are" in Russian).

Spasibo!- Thank you!

Kto tam?- Who is it?

Da- Yes

Spakoinai nochi Kaya- Good night Kaya

I woke up the next day with Ivan over me.

" What is it? " I asked.

" Papa wants you to come with him to the sports club, " Ivan said. I sat up, surprised.

" Did you ask why? " I asked.

" He's my Papa, " Ivan replied. I took that as a "nyet." I decided to get up and found out myself.

"Dobrayi ootro Kai" Mikhail said as I entered the dining area. I saw that Mama and Elena were there too.

" What do you want with me? " I asked. I sounded a lot ruder than I intended, but the man just smiled at me.

" I know that you're out of high school, so why don't you go with me to the sports club? " Mikhail said. " I think you could be helpful. "

" Or you can train for the Target Beyblading regimen, " Elena said.

" Or you can stand in line with Mama all afternoon for the groceries, " Ivan said. That did it for me.

" So when are you going? " I asked Mikhail.

" As soon as we finished breakfast, " Mikhail answered. We headed for the sports club once we finished eating.

" What do you do? " I asked as he drove us there.

" Tumbling, " he replied.

" You mean gymnastics? " I asked.

"Nyet" Mikhail said. " Just tumbling. " I was about to ask what he meant by that when we saw the sports club.

It definitely looked like an old sports club- like the ones that were built during the 1950s and the 1960s. We entered the front door and after Mikhail showed the receptionist his I.D. card and talked to her on my account, we were both accepted in. (I could've just shown her my passport, but I don't know whether that would satisfy her).

In any case, I followed him to a large gymnasium.

" This is where all of my students work at their tumbling " Mikhail said, stating the obvious. Still, I couldn't help but watch them do their work.

There were long stretches of gym mats on the floor. A bunch of boys and girls in outfits were stretching. I then heard Mikhail clap his hands.

" Attention! " Mikhail said. All of the students came to him at once. " I would like to introduce someone from Japan- Kai Hiwatari. He'll be our newest member. " I then became shocked and turned at him.

" I wasn't informed of this! " I protested.

" You really don't expect me to keep you in my home for nothing, don't you? " Mikhail said. I felt a bit sheepish all of a sudden. I then realized that it was never his intention that I'll be a freeloader in his home (not that I was planning to do that, but I didn't expect to get a job like this).

" But I don't have any experience with this! " I then said.

" You don't need much experience with the job I'm assigning you " Mikhail said.

"Shto?" I said. I was soon led to a room filled with papers, notebooks, bills and other important-looking papers.

" Your job is to sort all of this out, " Mikhail said. I was so taken aback that I didn't reply for a few seconds.

" But I don't have any training in bookkeeping! " I said.

" I don't need you to figure out anything, " Mikhail said. " All I want you to do is put in the required data into the spreadsheet. "

" Spreadsheet? " I didn't recognize the Russian word for it.

" A computer program that allows you to enter numbers and formulas," Mikhail said. It took a few more seconds to figure it out.

" I see, " I just said. I then looked at the papers in front of me. " But where is your bookkeeper? "

" She left a few days ago, " Mikhail replied. " I need someone to fill her position until we can replace her. "

" So I'm a temp? " I asked. I didn't know whether I should be insulted or not.

" Until we can find another bookkeeper, yes " Mikhail answered.

" When will that be? " I asked.

" I can't answer that " he replied. " Now if you want me to show you how to operate a computer, I can do so. "

" I already know how to do that, " I said. Where did he think I came from?

" I'm talking about our computers, " Mikhail said.

" I can do it myself, " I said. I just wanted him to go away.

" I got to go if you don't want any more instructions, " Mikhail said. He then went to the door. " If you need any help, don't be afraid to go out. Lunch is at twelve. " He then left, leaving me with a lot of paperwork to do.

'I might've as well get this over with,' I thought. As much as I hate him for tricking me like this, he did have a point. I couldn't rely on his family feeding me and keeping a bed for me without me doing anything in return. I had to get a job and I guess I could do this until I can get a better job.

I then spent the morning just organizing all of the papers. There were bills, invoices and letters that had to be sorted. I had lunch around noon (Mikhail paid for it thank god), and I went back to work.

As I put in the data into the spreadsheet, I came to the conclusion that the sports centre had to be privately owned. I didn't know what occurred after Russia became its own country in 1991, but if it was still government-owned, why was some guy's name so prominent in the billing?

'Vladimir Smirnov,' I thought. 'Just who is he?' I then put all the bills in a box after I typed in the required information. I did this all afternoon.

It was four o'clock when I decided to call it a day.

'I wonder how long they last had a bookkeeper,' I thought. 'Some of these bills are already a week old.' I then turned off the computer and left the room.

'I see that they're still at it' I thought as I saw the trainees still doing their exercises. Most of them were tumbling on the mats while a few others were stretching. I didn't see Mikhail anywhere.

"Prastityi!" I said to one of the girls. "Gdye Gaspadeen Mogilny?" She didn't say anything but simply pointed to the lobby. "Spasibo!" I then went to the lobby.

I saw him talking to a man in a black coat. I can't recall seeing him before but something inside me cringed. I walked cautiously to them.

"Mikhail?" I said. Both of them instantly looked at me.

" Kai, are you done? " Mikhail asked.

" For the day " I replied. I then looked at the man in the black coat. " Who's he? "

" Kai, this is Vladimir Smirnov " Mikhail said. " He's our accounts manager. " The man looked at me in surprise. I wondered if he saw me before or it was something else.

I was about to find out the truth.

" Kai? Are you Hiwatari's grandson? " Vladimir asked. My heart skipped a beat.

"Ah!" I said. I then did what I still can't believe that I did- I ran back to the room and shut the door. I then went down on the floor, putting myself next to the door so that no one else can open it.

I knew that if Grandfather knew where I was, Mikhail, Mama, Elena and Ivan could get in trouble. I still needed to develop the skills in order to find Pyotr and avenge Timofei's death. Still, if Grandfather knew where I was, it could get them involved with my own problems, and I didn't want that. In short, I was afraid. I felt like a little boy again, looking up at Grandfather. Back then, I hated him and I still hate him. Now, I got to face the possibility that he could be back in my life again.

Still, even though I didn't want to see him again, why did I go back to Moscow for? I knew there was a chance I could see him again.

I then heard- and felt because my back was right against it- a knock on the door. I got up.

"Kto tam?" I asked.

"Mikhail," he said. I then opened the door. " Is there a problem? " I hesitated. Could he really be trusted?

" Do you know anything about Vladimir Smirnov? " I questioned. I then told him about the bills.

" He's the accounts manager for this centre, " Mikhail told me. " I don't know about him outside the centre. I was going to tell him about you when you came. "

" I see, " I said. Now that I think about it, I don't remember seeing Vladimir in any of my memories. I've no idea whether I should be worried or not. It depends on how close they were.

" We should go now, " I said. I've had enough of this day. Plus, I wanted to talk to Elena.

" I see that you've been working very hard, " Mikhail said, looking at the computer. " I was hoping that we could save some money with you here- "

" Get a real bookkeeper! " I said. Mikhail laughed.

"Da da," Mikhail said. " We'll be leaving for real now. I think my wife will have a very good meal for us. "

He wasn't wrong, but for the first time since I've been there, I wasn't inclined to enjoy her food.

October 10, 2005

I'm still at the Mogilnys' home. It's been three days since Elena took me to her home. I learned a lot about this new beyblading sport called Target Beyblading since then. I think that the body I found was Timofei's body, a victim of an apparent gang attack. Anna was not happy about the news. I can't get it off my mind. My only option is to find what exactly happened, but to do that, I need to join one of the gangs. I also want to find out what happened to Pyotr. He could be in trouble too.

" What are you writing? " Elena's voice caused me to stop and look at her. She was staring down at me. I almost regretted taking the bottom hunk. The only thing that saved me was that I was writing in Japanese.

" Is that Japanese? " Elena then asked.

"Da," I replied. I was writing it horizontally, which meant from right to left. "I learned it at school in Japan." I then stopped. Why was I telling her this?

" I see that it doesn't have any alphabet, " Elena said. " Most of them don't look similar to each other. "

"Kanji, nyet," I said. " It's based from Chinese, but there are two other systems that is much easier to learn. Compared with Russian, it can be a pain to remember. "

" I suppose that's true " Elena said. She then went on the bed. " So how did your first day go? You didn't look happy when you came back. "

" I may be bringing trouble to your home " I said. I then told her about Vladimir.

" Did he just heard of him or does he know him personally? " Elena asked. " Beyblading is considered a sport in Russia, and people in the sports scene do generally know each other well. "

" I know, but… " I then stopped. It's hard to explain it in words to someone who appears to have a good family about what my own childhood was like.

" How old are you? " Elena asked.

" Eighteen, " I replied. I then realized what she meant. " Look, I know I'm not a kid anymore. But you don't know my grandfather. "

" I may have never met your grandfather, but I've heard of him, " Elena said. " Kids that go to Biovolt are never the same again, even if they don't get accepted. "

" Elena, why do you want me here? " I asked. I then saw her get on the bed and kissed me on the cheek.

" I think if you thought hard enough, then you should know the answer, " Elena said.

" What are you saying? " I asked.

" You'll see, " Elena said. She then got up. " Remember that we got practice tomorrow, so get yourself ready for a good night's sleep. Spakoinai nochi, Kaya."

"Spakoinai nochi, Elena," I said. She then smiled back at me and left the room. I went back on my bed, thinking about what she said.

All of a sudden I heard a sound above me.

"Ivan?" I said.

" What did you two just do? " I heard Ivan ask. I blushed, not knowing what to say.

" Nothing " I replied. I then heard a "Whatever" and a sound of Ivan rolling on his bed. I then got my journal and wrote something else. It reads in English:

I think that Elena would be the biggest mystery yet.

I then put down the pen and looked up again. I had to go to sleep now, but as for me, I had no idea what laid ahead of me- something that will change my life forever.

End of Chapter Five

Since only one person has been consistently reviewing my fic so far, there'll be no review replies. Beyblade was created by Takao Aoki and distributed by Hudson Soft. If anybody 's reading this, please don't forget to review!


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